End of the Chapter
by FruitySmell
Summary: Neji remembers the days of his youth.


**Disclaimer: **I do not own any of these guys.

**EDITED FOR A REASON: **

I just received a review from "What should my name be" and discovered that Naruto will be the seventh Hokage, however, the title as sixth will be given to Kakashi. First of all, I would like to apologize for my being ignorant to important detailss like this and second, I would asslo like to thank **What should my name** **be** for pointing out my mistake. So big thanks to you good sir/ madame, and also a big thanks to those who read and reviewed.

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><p>When the war finally ended, the people rejoiced but their happiness was short-lived. The damage the war brought was too severe; lives were sacrificed, families were broken, homes needed rebuilding, and resources were getting scarce. Not to mention, the survivors lived in constant fear for bandits, who took advantage of the destruction and chaos that the war had done, emerged and began pillaging numerous shelters for their own gain and enjoyment.<p>

There was no other choice but to send in ninjas, most of which were too weary from fighting, to help the people fend off from the thieves. The war may have been over but the fighting still continued. More names were listed as either missing in action or deceased. It was a dark age for all of the people of Konoha yet they continued to strive for the future, hoping to attain peace and serenity for themselves and for their children.

It took three years before the village did recover, the remnants of death and destruction finally eradicated after fighting for so long. Citizens of Konoha, both young and old, celebrated with cheer as the peace they had been longing for finally came. It was a time for celebration and with that; they adorned the streets with lanterns in preparation for the festival. Different stalls selling items or food were established and it was also rumoured fireworks will be presented as well. There was of course another reason for the celebration aside from attaining harmony – today also marked the day when the great Copy Ninja Hatake Kakashi was to step down as the Hokage and pass the title to Uzumaki Naruto.

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><p>Hyuuga Neji found himself reminiscing at Team Gai's old training grounds on the day of Naruto's crowning as Hokage. He smirked a little as he found the craters he had made while mastering the Kaiten. There were also target boards scattered in the area, all mutilated beyond recognition by Tenten and her ultra sharp weapons. Neji could still remember those days when he would sit to meditate just below those target boards while Tenten practiced her aim. And lastly, their old training grounds wouldn't be complete without the wooden dummies used by Lee while training in Taijutsu. There was also a huge iron maiden made of steel at the center of their training field; a gift from Tenten to Lee when he passed the Chuunin exams once upon a time.<p>

The smirk on his lips soon turned into a small but content smile as he thought of those days when they were still genin. Lee would always challenge him to duels while Tenten would try to stop him from eating dust. Of course Neji was never one to back out from any challenge and would humor Lee by accepting those ridiculous challenges the boy would come up with. The results were always the same with Neji as the victor but Lee never gave up. Strangely enough, the two managed to become friends because of these never-ending contests and Gai-sensei once declared it as the power of their "Springtime of Youth."

The very comment made Lee burst into tears and the two hugged, running off to the very dramatic sunset with equally dramatic waves as background, despite the fact that it was early noon and they were nowhere near the sea or any body of water for that matter. That left Neji and Tenten who both wore the same exasperated look. Then the two would start their own spar and by the end of the day, Neji would feel content resting below a shady tree while waiting for Tenten to finish picking up all her weapons.

Speaking of Tenten, it was thanks to her that Neji was able to familiarize himself with Kaiten. During those days of struggling as a member of the Branch family, nobody but Tenten helped him for the Chuunin exams because Gai was with Lee at the hospital and Neji would rather suffer the pain of his cursed seal than asking for any of his family members for assistance. When Hiashi asked him who had trained with him in mastering the techniques exclusive for the Main Family, Neji had told him honestly about Tenten and her efforts in helping him for the exam. The day after his talk with his uncle, Neji was very much surprised to find out that Tenten was invited by Hinata for a family dinner with the other Hyuugas. The evening ended with Tenten charming the elders of his family with her vast knowledge about different kinds of weapons, metallurgy, and even battle statistics. She was also able to fascinate his cousins with her smiles and her witty personality. All in all, Neji was relieved that his family seemed to have taken a liking to her... And then he got very annoyed when most of his cousins began asking him about Tenten and her personal life; most of which included what her likes and dislikes were or if she had a boyfriend (it got to the point where Neji almost Jyuuken'd one of his cousins had Hiashi not intervened at the nick of time).

The squawking of birds overhead snapped Neji back to reality and he noticed that he had clenched his fists as he tried to remember his younger days. Neji activated his Byakugan and started counting the birds up in the sky, much like what he used to do whenever he was practicing his bloodline limit.

"One... Two...," he mentally counted the birds above until the snapping of twigs and rustling of leaves made him turn around. With his Byakugan still activated, Neji immediately recognized Tenten's chakra signature and he stopped the chakra flowing towards his eyes, returning his eyesight to the land of colors.

Tenten was already in front of him, leaning against a tree with a smile on her face. "Hey Neji," she started as soon as she was sure that she had Neji's full attention, "Naruto's gonna be crowned the Hokage soon. Wanna come with me to watch?"

The smile never left her face and Neji vaguely remembered that time when Tsunade became the Fifth Hokage. It was also Tenten who had invited him to watch the crowning ceremony together but he declined her offer, saying he was not interested. Moments later, curiosity got the better of him and he moved to watch the celebration, only to find Tenten amongst the Hyuuga clan members, specifically his male cousins and Hanabi. From what he could hear, Tenten was sharing a story about Tsunade to the Hyuugas, her face lighting up as she gestured wildly with her hands while his cousins listened with interest. Then she noticed him looking at her and she waved at him, shouting amidst the crowd to come over which he instantly did because his cousins were far too close to her for his liking.

Neji was amused as he realized how similar this situation was to before. He even thought that maybe time did turn back and they were all young and naive again. However, a glance at Tenten reassured him that time did not turn back at all. For one thing, Tenten had changed her hairstyle to a single bun, letting her bangs frame her face. She also looked a bit taller now and her face shape became more angular. To summarize, she had matured and had turned into a fine and beautiful lady.

But the biggest change in Tenten, according to Neji, was that she no longer wore Oriental styled shirts that she was so fond of during her early years. Instead she now wore a simple yet elegant white kimono with the traditional Hyuuga clan ensemble embedded on the back.

"Neji!" Tenten whined, giving him a pout, "don't tell me you won't come with me like the last time!" She looked a bit hurt, then crossed her arms and narrowed her eyes at him.

Neji merely shook his head and replied with a casual, "Of course not." He neared her slowly and then rested his forehead against hers once he reached her. His left arm snaked itself around her waist while his right hand landed lightly on her stomach area.

"There is no way I'm letting you out of my sight," Neji started as he tightened his hold around her carefully, "The streets will be crowded. You or our baby might get hurt." And then he tilted her chin with his right hand and kissed her lightly. He felt Tenten's arms snake around his neck to deepen the kiss and Neji wanted nothing more than to give in to her desire.

Away from the couple, the crowd cheered loudly for Uzumaki Naruto as he accepted the responsibility of becoming the seventh Hokage. His voice was just as loud and booming as the crowd's as he promised he will never let the people down and that he would protect everyone with all his power. But neither Neji nor Tenten cared as they continued their kiss, finding their own little piece of heaven in each other's arms.

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><p><strong>Author's notes:<strong>

Seriously, I can't be the only one who thinks NejiTen might end up like AsuKure. I'm not saying that Neji will die (NO!), but rather, Neji and Tenten will end up getting married and we'll only know of their relationship when Kishimoto inserts it in the manga that the guy got the girl pregnant.

Anyways, belated Happy Valentine's Day or Happy Single Awareness Day to all of you. Let this be a gift from me to you guys. And also, today's my birthday so this is my gift from me to me as well (gee, how forever alone can I get? Lol)

Please read and review. I would like to hear some helpful tips as well. Bye and thanks!


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